Muskie School of Public Service

Congratulations to all Muskie School 2019 graduates! In a large celebration at the Woodfords Club in Portland on Friday May 10, the Muskie School recognized graduating students from its various degree and certificate programs.

The Maine Center for Business and Economic Research at University of Southern Maine has partnered with the newly created Maine Wedding Report to issue “Marry ME,” a first-of-its kind economic analysis of Maine’s growing wedding industry.

Regan Thibodeau of Falmouth, the first Deaf person from Maine to earn a Ph.D., recently appeared on News Center Maine’s “207” program to describe her experience.

In the Season 3 finale of "The USM Update," USM Provost Jeannine Uzzi welcomes guests from across the university to discuss new studies and a new degree in Leadership, excellence in athletics and, with some of our graduating students, life during and after their time at USM.

When Regan Thibodeau picks up her degree this Spring, the Falmouth woman will become the first deaf Maine native to earn a doctorate and one of a shockingly few number of deaf doctorate-holders worldwide. Thibodeau, who has taught for years at USM, says she wants her Ph.D. — in public policy with a concentration in educational leadership — to show other deaf people that it can be done. And she hopes it will happen more often.

The University of Southern Maine, in collaboration with Maine Small Business Development Centers, has launched a free online program to train small business retail workers in preventing and responding to violence.

Jarvis Thanex Louis spoke no English when he left his home of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti in the months that followed the 2010 earthquake. Maine and the University of Southern Maine became his place to start over away from the reminders of the tragedy. "In Haiti, every day you saw something that reminded you of what happened: you lost all of your friends; you lost family members."In Maine, he found peace. He learned English with the help of library staff — "They are my favorite people at USM," he says — and the farmer's son began taking classes in Environmental Science.

Leading up to the University of Southern Maine 2019 Commencement, many departments are busy with special events celebrating the accomplishments of their graduating students in a more intimate setting.

Congratulations to Dr. Tracy Michaud, Assistant Professor in Tourism and Hospitality, and undergraduate student Chris Henchcliffe for receiving Best Research Paper at the NENA CHRIE (Northeast North American Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education) conference at Penn State last weekend. Another great example of a successful, collaborative faculty-student research project!

Meredith Sells had worked for five years on Wall Street — cultivating relationships and helping her clients invest their money — when she decided to return to Maine and enroll at the University of Southern Maine. For a young woman who grew up in Cape Elizabeth and had succeeded in New York City, it was an abrupt shift. But Sells, who describes herself as a “curious chameleon,” is a formidable person with the talent and drive to achieve her goals.